"Seinfeld" offends Irish step-dancers!

S08E22 The Summer of GeorgeliveMay 16, 1997the next day64 posts by 34 posters
😡 Hated it🔥 Controversial
64 posts
Sean Smith

The season-ending 5/15 episode of "Seinfeld" had a couple of running gags about people holding their arms at their sides while involved in various forms of movement, such as tap-dancing. These jokes, especially the latter one, can only be a thinly-veiled reference to traditional Irish step-dancing.

As a person of Celtic-American descent in solidarity with those who practice the various forms of Gaelic or Celtic folk traditions, whether in the conventional festive costumes or in those slinky off-the-shoulder numbers with black fish-net stockings, I want to express how DEEPLY OFFENDED I was by this mockery! I can just imagine the humiliation and shame Michael Flatley or Jean Butler must feel now. In fact, I can just imagine Jean Butler in that slinky off-the-shoulder number with the black fish-net stockings.

But that's not the point! Only a direct apology, and a symbolic act of genuine contrition -- such as buying me a couple of six-packs of Harp -- will erase the terrible pain I feel from this brutal slap in the face of my culture.

Actually, on second thought, I won't insist on the direct apology, but the symbolic act of genuine contrition part would be really great. If they could throw in an extra six-pack, though, I'd appreciate it.

Sean ("The fish-net stockings would be nice, too") Smith [email] Because some things can't be helped--http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/6504; Featuring "Daze and Quirks"--self-indulgent tripe masquerading as literary pretension! ~~~~*~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~* Endangered species being what they are The numbers involved would be small; If the world was full of endangered species They wouldn't be endangered at all. --Les Barker, "Bungee Jumping for Lemmings"

ChrisSean Smith

I think you SERIOUSLY need to renew your Prozak prescription, Sean. And then you need to have a SERIOUS reality check when you come back to Earth!

Wabash SlimChris

On Sun, 18 May 1997 23:25:33 -0600, Chris wrote:

AARRRGGGGHHHHH!!!!! Couldn't you just KILL these people who miss the point??? Is sarcasm becoming, like English, a lost art???

DaveWabash Slim

I'm toying with the idea of adding a disclaimer to my posts. Warning: The preceding may have been written with humorous intent... Or something like that.

[email] (Hammer nail here--> <-- for a new monitor.) (Remove SPAM to reply)

In article [email] (Wabash Slim) writes:

Yes, it is.

Denise Perry                             WILL Radio
Internet: [email]                810 S. Wright St. Rm 228
Phone:  (217) 333-0850                   Urbana, IL 61801

"We're public broadcasting; we put the 'fun' in dysfunctional!" - PBS President Ervin Duggan

[email] (Wabash Slim) wrote:

I don't know about sarcasm itself, but appreciating it has surely lost its way. *Especially* on the USENET.

Then again, there are those posts that seem like sarcasm because they're so out there, but they turn out to be heartfelt ramblings of the idiotic/ignorant/loony.

But my favorite is when a sarcastic post ends with a smiley and people *still* don't get it.

Hanson "I present to you Mother's Day. I present to you Father's Day. I present to you the pinnacle of the binocular world." - QVC Salesman

Wabash Slim ([email]) forced alt.religion.kibology to read:

No. the entire fun of Trolling is sharing a private laugh at the idiots who get snared with the rest of us who didn't...

No need for commentary or counter-flames

Uh-oh...I just realized the hypocricy of this post...damn.

John Sweeney Stand-Up Tragedian [email]

Thus spake [email]:

You _are_ new here.

Alex Suter "Can now UnJustify!" http://www-cs-students.stanford.edu/~asuter/

Catch up, pangolin -- we're w-a-a-a-a-y past that post!

Chi-XSean Smith

<<As a person of Celtic-American descent in solidarity with those who practice the various forms of Gaelic or Celtic folk traditions, whether in the conventional festive costumes or in those slinky off-the-shoulder numbers with black fish-net stockings, I want to express how DEEPLY OFFENDED I was by this mockery!>>

Yea, Riverdance & Lord of the Dance Rules man! Go Celtic!

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MichelChi-X

Boooohhhhh... stop it, I'm gonna cry...

Only a truly sad person can't laught at him or herself and heritage. Take a pill and have a laugh. Seinfeld's humor is never meant to be offensive to anyone, only funny. Not once did that episode of Seinfeld refer to the Irish. If you want to read more into it, fine, but really! Chill out!

As long as it's at the expense of those dentists, I'm all for mocking people's heritage.

Another Sean

In article , Sean Vanderfluit wrote: }Friend ([email]) wrote: }: Only a truly sad person can't laught at him or herself and heritage. } }As long as it's at the expense of those dentists, I'm all for mocking }people's heritage.

My God... you're an anti-dentite!

  • Joe "this was waaaay too easy" Creighton
"I like simple. If it's complex then I don't understand it." -- Seymour Cray http://www.ee.umanitoba.ca/~djc/ D. Joseph Creighton [ESTP] | Programmer Analyst, Database Technologies, IST [email] | University of Manitoba Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

In article , [email] (Sean Smith) wrote:

Flatley or Jean

God forbid we offend Michael Flatley -- that self-important, greedy, pompous dancing fool.

Sean Smith ([email]) wrote:

i think i'll be the sole person in this NG to support sean here. but i had the same thought in my head about irish step-dancing while i was watching the episode. Michael Flatley, Jean Butler and the other dancers all work hard at their art and the episode was offensive in that way.

Ye-Ling

Oh no now the Asian Mafia are offended for the Irish!! Is there no end to the offense Jerry Seinfeld, a nice Jewish boy from The Bronx can wreak on this unhappy world?? Carl

Now see, there YOU go!!! What makes you think Seinfeld falls into the stereotype of "nice Jewish boy"?? What are you, his Mother? What makes him "NICE"? Is he "nice" because he's Jewish, or is he "nice" because he's a "boy", or is he a "boy" because he's "nice" AND "Jewish", or is it because all "Jews" are "nice boys" in your prejudiced mind, or is it because you think he's "nice" AND "Jewish" that he's a "boy"? And what about this "boy" business, huh?? He's almost 50 years old, for cryin' out loud!! Would you still call him a "boy" if he were "black"? How do you think you'd be thought of on this NG if you referred to Eddie Murphy as "that nice black boy"?

You've got to get into the REAL SPIRIT of this Newsgroup if you wanna survive here, my friend!!!

By the way, are you colored?

Hey, Slim---How insensitive of you to use the word "colored" in reference to a black boy. These are the '90s and society has progressed. Your mom probably taught you to say colored because that was preferable to "Negro". By the 60's you should have advanced to "black" (lower case). Now, my friend, it is proper to use the term "African American", or perhaps "person of color". See how the wheel turns? BTW what are we to do about a Caucasian South African who comes to America and has children? Do we refer to them as African American as well?

[much hilarity snipped]

[African-American Studies lecture 1 snipped also]

Let's call them CSAWCTAAHC. Rolls off the tongue and conveys the meaning beautifully.

"Everybody's colored or else you wouldn't be able to see them." Captain Beefheart.

Nigel Armstrong [The Amazing Karaoke .sig - today's tune "I can sing a rainbow" - 1, 2, 3, 4...]

On Wed, 21 May 1997, Carl Muench wrote in alt.religion.kibology: (and I bet he wishes he hadn't)

[...snickers...] /Now, my friend, it is proper to use the term "African American", or /perhaps "person of color". See how the wheel turns? BTW what are we /to do about a Caucasian South African who comes to America and has /children? Do we refer to them as African American as well?

How about when an African Of Any Sort goes to a Renaissance Festival and gets body art painted on her? Are we thus to be forbidden from exclaiming, "Oh my, I love the way you are coloured!"? Would a person of such lovely colour be offended, or must I say instead, "Oh my, I love the way you are Africanned!" - even if the art is a green dragon and thus quite Oriental! And how would my Chinese friend feel, having his dragon called African? Did you think of that before you started casting these aspersions so carelessly?

E.(these p.c. questions are SO confusing, not that there's anything wrong with that)Holmes

There is no system problem that cannot be solved by removing users & deleting their files. Even on Windows 3.1. --- Francesco Benvenuto http://rampages.onramp.net/~eholmes/ [email]

You should say, "Oh my, I love the way you are PAINTED...you lusty black wench!"

Actually, if you're White, you're better off just not saying ANYTHING... just save all your remarks for when you're back with your white friends, then you can all have a good old fashioned, racist HOWL!!!!

In alt.religion.kibology, on Thu, 22 May 1997 23:50:34 GMT, Wabash Slim wanted to share:

:You should say, "Oh my, I love the way you are PAINTED...you lusty :black wrench!"

Discussions about having sex with your tools are OFF TOPIC in rec.arts.tv, please take this tripe elsewhere.

:Actually, if you're White, you're better off just not saying :ANYTHING...

And if you're Black, resign the game immediately, before Deep Blue kicks your ass.

:just save all your remarks for when you're back with your white :friends, then you can all have a good old fashioned, racist HOWL!!!!

I don't have any white friends. All my friends are kind of...pink. I want to go out and get some Gothick friends that color themselves white and smell like cloves.

One of my friends pink friends turned white for a while, but he got better.

Then there was this really old guy at this place I used to work who had some kind of kidney problem and would actually turn YELLOW if he went too long without medication.

I'm actually pink with lots of little dark spots. You may address me as a "Person of Freckle."

Jaffo

"Democracy is three wolves and a sheep deciding who is for lunch." http://rampages.onramp.net/~jaffo/

In article ,

I am greyscale.

Bryan

Bryan Fullerton "What is the sound of Perl? Is it not the sound Samurai Consulting of a wall that people have stopped banging their [email] heads against?" --Larry Wall http://www.samurai.com/ There are Pretenders among us.

NO!! NNNOOOOOOOOO!!! This can't be happening!!! NOT ANOTHER OFFENDED LITTLE BUTTWHIPE!!!!!!!!

On 20 May 1997, Lord of the Dance wrote:

I suppose it didn't actually occur to you to listen to the dialogue in the episode, or to think about what was being said? I thought it was made very clear (especially since one of the characters out-and-out said this) that Ms. Welch's style was wrong >for Broadway<. Sorry, but unless the show is Lord of the Dance or Riverdance, traditional Irish step-dancing >would< be wrong for Broadway choreography. How many Broadway-style musicals have you seen? If you've ever seen a tap-intensive show like The Will Rogers Follies or--even moreso--Crazy for You, then you should know that Broadway dancing is a lot more than tapping your feet in rhythm.

===============================================================================
       Matthew Murray - [email] - http://www.wwu.edu/~mmurray
===============================================================================
               The script calls for fusing and using our smarts,
                And greatness can come of the sum of our parts.
           From now on, I'm with you--and with you is where I belong!
-David Zippel, City of Angels

Dare we mention that the emperor has no clothes ? That Michael Flathead and the other prancing clowns have mangled a variety of folk dances into a pathetic amalgam of multicultural dross ? No, better not say that. We haven't seen this episode here in Oz yet, but I can't wait.

k_k_kSean Smith

In case you gave a damn, "KKK" are the intials to my name!!!

I don't really give a rat's ass if you find my name insulting, because, personally, I am proud of my name. Besides, "KKK" doesn't mean the same thing everywhere idiot. Remember? The I-Net ain't strictly for Americans buttwhipe.

Carl Muenchk_k_k

[email] wrote:

WOW!!! I guess the University of Hawaii ain't into multiculturalism and diversity. Anyone want to light a candle and have a vigil to protest the lack of political correctness in the Islands?

On Tue, 20 May 1997 11:02:43 -0700, Carl Muench wrote:

Consider one candle lit.........

NOTE: Please remove the xx from my address to reply True email address is [email]

Thus spake [email]:

I give a damn! I do! I do!

I'm proud of your name too. I give a damn AND a rat's ass! I do! I do!

That's right! For example, on Uranus "KKK" stands for "buttwhipe".

Well, we did invent it and all. DARPA, doncha know.

Alex Suter "Can now UnJustify!" http://www-cs-students.stanford.edu/~asuter/

On 20 May 1997 18:58:53 GMT, Lupus Yonderboy wrote in alt.religion.kibology:

/ [email] wrote (the silly ass): />I don't really give a rat's ass if you find my name insulting, because, />personally, I am proud of my name. / /I'm proud of your name too. I give a damn AND a rat's ass! I do! /I do!

My children's school keeps several cages of animals in each classroom. They have both rats and gerbils. The tails are cute, but I never looked at their asses. Most of the classrooms are too small to keep asses in, anyway. When I was a wee tot, we had a cow, but never did have an ass, and no one (except boys, and you know how THEY are) kept rats, so it is very difficult for me to empathize with this young man's problem.

I do hope [email] can work out these bestiality problems soon, although I have heard rumors that alt.sex.bestiality could use a few good men.

E.(or was that the Marines? not that there's any difference)Holmes

"Nipples. Lots of 'em. Some on my back." -- Teg Pipes

In article , [email] says...

All right, Lupus, you've said your piece. Now, while I tune up the Uillean pipes, you tear open that black leather jacket, throw out your chest and start dancing! (Arms _at the sides_, please!)

Everyone, [address]!!!11!!

Sean ("Darn, the reed in my chanter's loose again") Smith [email] Because some things can't be helped--http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/6504; Featuring "Daze and Quirks"--self-indulgent tripe masquerading as literary pretension! ~~~~*~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~* Endangered species being what they are The numbers involved would be small; If the world was full of endangered species They wouldn't be endangered at all. --Les Barker, "Bungee Jumping for Lemmings"

Thus spake [email] (Sean Smith):

She walked the deck in a black dress and me, I dressed up in black. And we looked up at the sky, in a poetic kind of way. What you call it, when you look up at the sky, in a poetic kind of way? You know, when you grope for Luna.

Magicboy! We have paid you to dance! Dance for me Magicboy!

All such happy memories...

Alex Suter "Can now UnJustify!" http://www-cs-students.stanford.edu/~asuter/
Wabash Slimk_k_k

On 20 May 1997 18:33:49 GMT, [email] wrote:

Butt WHIPE?? Cool, that must be the UK spelling! Don't mind me, I'm just a ignernt wite guy.....

NOW LET'S ALL GET OFFENDED OUT THERE!!!!

Jaffok_k_k

In alt.religion.kibology, on 20 May 1997 18:33:49 GMT, [email] wanted to share:

:In case you gave a damn, "KKK" are the intials to my name!!! : :I don't really give a rat's ass if you find my name insulting, because, :personally, I am proud of my name. Besides, "KKK" doesn't mean :the same thing everywhere idiot. Remember? The I-Net :ain't strictly for Americans buttwhipe.

So the Kentucky Korn Klutchers don't have a chapter in Europe?

Jaffo

"A popular government without popular information, or the means of acquiring it, is but a prologue to a farce or a tragedy, or perhaps both. Knowledge will forever govern ignorance, and a people who mean to be their own governors must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives."
k_k_kSean Smith

Well, the fact is, the way I use KKK in my email addy ain't the same KKK that yall are thinking of.

C'mon, don't you trust me? <g>

One of these days some Finnish dude whose last name coincides with the English N-Word-That-Is-So-Nasty-I-Cant-Even-Type-It.

And somewhere there is a neo-Nazi hate group in East Germany named JCJ, and Jay C. Jachimiak will have a lot of explaining to do.

And when the aliens land, the words in their language for "Greetings! We come in peace and bring cures for cancer, clean abundant energy sources, and a fat-free fat substitute that doesn't cause anal leakage!" will sound exactly like "Your mama's so stupid, she gave your uncle a blow job because he said it would look great on her resume!"

N i c k B e n s e m a < n i c k b @ p r i m e n e t . c o m > 98-KUPD Red Card Holder #710563 [THIS SPACE UNDER CONSTRUCTION]

Perhaps not, but it's fairly stupid anyway. "I don't mean 'fuck off' when I write it, but instead the acronym for 'Finnish Universities Can Kill Our Friends or Foes,' which oddly enough is a popular chant in Norway."

-drl

Derek R. Larson Indiana University Department of History "Eastward I go by force, but Westward I go free!" -H. D. Thoreau --------------http://php.indiana.edu/~drlarson/home.html----------------

In article ,

                                                                   ^^^^^^^^
 ^^^^^^^

That doesn't sound very warm and fuzzy either.

N i c k B e n s e m a < n i c k b @ p r i m e n e t . c o m > 98-KUPD Red Card Holder #710563 [THIS SPACE UNDER CONSTRUCTION]

In article , [email] says...

No, but you should hear it at the annual Norway-Finland football game on Thanksgiving Day. Especially when they s�ck the qu�rterb�ck.

Sean ("Lutefisk! Getcha ice-cold lutefisk!") Smith [email] Because some things can't be helped--http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/6504; Featuring "Daze and Quirks"--self-indulgent tripe masquerading as literary pretension! ~~~~*~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~* Endangered species being what they are The numbers involved would be small; If the world was full of endangered species They wouldn't be endangered at all. --Les Barker, "Bungee Jumping for Lemmings"

Sean ("Especially when they s

MurphSean Smith

Hey Sean...want some cheese with that WHINE?

k_k_kSean Smith

OKAY OKAY we've all had our little fun! Now let's end this thread--it seems to be going nowhere.

In the immortal words of the Genie: "IIIIIIIII'M OUTA HERE!!!!!" <pof>

:-)

Thus spake [email]:

Woah. You think you can end a threat just because it seems to be going nowhere? You are in for a shock. I wouldn't be surprised if you have to explain to future generations of k_k_k's who Seinfeld is, and why he offended Irish step-dancers.

These things have a life of their own, and we're certainly not invited.

In the immortal words of GEnie: "<g>"

Alex Suter "Can now UnJustify!" http://www-cs-students.stanford.edu/~asuter/

In article , [email] (Sean Smith) wrote:

latter one,

Second City in Toronto made fun of Riverdance, thus giving legitimacy to Riverdance as a source of entertainment as opposed to pure bozosity.

They didnt spoof Shine, so it's still not there.

Sean Smith

In article , [email] says...

Well, I _wasn't_ joking about the six packs of Harp.

Or Jean Butler in the fishnet stockings.

Sean ("Other than that....") Smith [email] Because some things can't be helped--http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/6504; Featuring "Daze and Quirks"--self-indulgent tripe masquerading as literary pretension! ~~~~*~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~* Endangered species being what they are The numbers involved would be small; If the world was full of endangered species They wouldn't be endangered at all. --Les Barker, "Bungee Jumping for Lemmings"

My Dad suffered an unusual injury in an auto accident once, that left ONLY HIS ARMS paralyzed...in other words, from the neck down and the nipples up. What was interesting is that when he sat down at a desk his arms worked perfectly OK...it was only when he stood up and walked that his arms hung limp at his sides. IMAGINE MY CHAGRIN at seeing this tragic malady BUFFOONED on Seinfeld, by people who are old enough to know better, and who exert a PROFOUND INFLUENCE on society and especially CHILDREN, who tend to already be cruel by nature....and words alone cannot express how DEEPLY OFFENDED I am at this INHUMANE PORTRAYAL of this most exasperating and tortuous affliction which has wrought so much PAIN & SUFFERING to me, my family and the memory of my late father, Hans Downing... Would anyone out there know of a support newsgroup or website for people like me? My only desire is to feel whole again...or failing that, to feel some hole again....

Wabash Slim: I went through a WHOLE box of Kleenex while reading your TRAGIC STORY. I too am offended at Seinfeld's CALLOUS TREATMENT of the memory of you late father. For the CHILDREN'S SAKE it would only be fitting to move my candle light vigil to NBC headquarters in New York City. Would you care to join my LITTLE throng? Carl

On Tue, 20 May 1997 16:53:39 -0800, Carl Muench wrote:

That sentence is a refugee from alt.sex.stories.

Huh?

Oh.

<pause for humorous effect>

Eeeeeeeeeuuuwwwww!!!!

[email] (Hammer nail here--> <-- for a new monitor.) (Remove SPAM to reply)

In alt.religion.kibology, on Tue, 20 May 1997 23:49:23 GMT, Wabash Slim wanted to share:

:Would anyone out there know of a support newsgroup or website for :people like me? My only desire is to feel whole again...or failing :that, to feel some hole again....

alt.sex.masturbation.oral

"A popular government without popular information, or the means of acquiring it, is but a prologue to a farce or a tragedy, or perhaps both. Knowledge will forever govern ignorance, and a people who mean to be their own governors must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives."

On Tue, 20 May 1997 23:49:23 GMT, [email] (Wabash Slim) wrote:

  [...]

You might consider subscribing to alt.swingers.

Watson Aname

"Then this! - And that! - And sure enough! The man's neck was broken, just as the book said it would be." - Robert A. Heinlein freehold@^SNIP!^visi.net

On Tue, 20 May 1997 23:49:23 GMT, [email] (Wabash Slim) wrote:

[...]

You might consider subscribing to alt.swingers.

Tee-hee!! Giggle. God, that was funny!! Thanks. [email] (Hammer nail here--> <-- for a new monitor.)

My Gawd, does NOONE else have a sense of humor!! If you can't laugh at yourself then who CAN you laugh at?? Sheesh!

Tori

Tori!! Stop it!! It was all an obvious joke in the beginning. A wonderful display of irony on Sean's part. He was making fun of the people that have made a hobby of feigning offense at things like this just to get sympathy or political power... Get it?/

Carl Muench
[email] wrote: > > Uh...you do realize he's joking?Is anyone else horribly offended that this person uses kkk in his email address? I think I'll get "mad as hell and not take it anymore"

On Tue, 20 May 1997 09:15:32 -0700, Carl Muench wrote:

/[email] wrote: /> /> Uh...you do realize he's joking?Is anyone else horribly offended that this person uses kkk in his /email address? I think I'll get "mad as hell and not take it anymore" /Gonna light a candle and have a vigil...

Uh... Next time try putting AT LEAST a space between the quoted text and your follow-up. Although if you made a determined search for the RETURN/ENTER key, I bet anything you could find it. And did I mention 80-or-less character line lengths? Well, not wanting to tax that teeny brain, I'll wait until next time.

E.(considering moving to Canada and taking up rooms with Bev any day)Holmes

"Talk, Meow or get out of the Way." -- Fluffy [email]

Duh...so that's what happened. Thanks for the tip!